Pinellas County Maritime Lawyers

Ben Murphey is an attorney with the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Lawlor Winston. Mr. Murphey was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1971. Before entering college, he served in the U. S. Army Infantry where he earned his airborne wings, and had the honor of serving as a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He has been admitted to practice before all Florida Courts, the United States District Court for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Murphey's practice areas include general and...

Senior Partner at Guy Yudin & Foster, LLP. 20 years legal experience in the areas of real estate law, riparian rights, business law; business litigation, environmental law, marinas, boatyards, yacht brokers, boat builders, and other maritime matters. Routinely prosecutes administrative actions before the Division of Administrative Hearings. Also experienced with civil appeals, property damage claims, insurance coverage, small claims, collections, construction law and mechanics liens. Admitted to practice in 1994 in the State of Florida and the District of Columbia. Practicing in Stuart, Florida since 1995. J.D. Quinnipiac College School...

Ashley E. Wentz is a litigation attorney handling passenger personal injury and crewmember cases. Ashley received her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. After graduating law school, Ashley practiced in the areas of family law and personal injury. Ashley handled numerous trials while practicing family law in Maryland ranging from custody, visitation, and child support disputes. After moving to Georgia, Ashley practiced in the field of personal injury, successfully resolving numerous personal injury cases. Upon relocating to Miami, Ashley found an interest in practicing Maritime law and has been practicing in this field for the past two...

Todd Passman has practiced law since 1998 and is admitted to the Florida Bar as well as the Georgia Bar.

He was born and raised in Fort Pierce, Florida, where he graduated from Fort Pierce Westwood High School in 1991. On graduating, Todd was awarded both a Florida Undergraduate Scholars Scholarship and a Florida State University Academic Scholars Scholarship. He attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida and graduated in 1995 with a degree in accounting. While attending Florida State, Todd Passman studied abroad in London, England as part of Florida State University’s International Program. Finally, Todd attended the very prestigious...

Alex Perez is an active litigator licensed to practice law in all Florida Federal and State Courts, including Appellate Courts. Mr. Perez also routinely handles International Arbitrations pending in countries all over the world. Mr. Perez has secured millions of dollars for his clients. Mr. Perez primarily represents passengers injured on cruise ships, crewmembers injured on cruise ships, cargo vessels, oil tankers and other commercial sea going vessels, and handles a variety of recreational marine cases involving yachts, pleasure boats and jet skis. Before starting his practice, Mr. Perez attended Tulane University Law School where he pursued a course of study in...

Jeremy Dover has an intense drive that has allowed him to hone and refine his broad litigation skill set. His general area of practice is Civil Litigation, with a focus on both Personal Injury Protection and Personal Injury Lawsuits. Jeremy is an ethical scholar that focuses on finding new, ingenious arguments and strategies to help in his zealous advocacy for all his clients, and he will never settle for less than any of his clients justly deserve. Jeremy worked throughout his time at UM, including holding positions at multiple law offices, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Lawyers to the Rescue Non-Profit...

I am a Shareholder at St. Denis & Davey Professional Association. Having practiced law since 1998, I provide experienced, skilled and knowledgeable representation for an array of legal needs. My practice areas include Legal Malpractice, Accounting Malpractice, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Defense, Products Liability, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Construction Litigation, Automotive Franchise and Dealerships, Class Actions, and Nursing Home Litigation. I defend insurance companies, construction developers, contractors, retailers, dealerships, and others throughout Florida. I am committed to providing zealous advocacy and delivering successful outcomes for my clients.

I received my B.S. in Finance from Florida State University. In 1998, I obtained my...

Matthew Kish is an attorney with substantial experience in all aspects of bankruptcy, real estate, and commercial law. Matthew has practiced law in California and Florida and he has a proven ability to find sound solutions to complex legal, commercial, and financial concerns. Originally from Philadelphia, he is an avid surfer and outdoorsman.

Stefanie Black is a litigation attorney handling passengers’ personal injury claims and crewmember cases as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. She has experience in maritime personal injury litigation as well as cargo claims against ocean carriers in federal court. Ms. Black enjoys state and federal court practice with a history of countless successful trials. She is passionate about providing exceptional representation to the firm’s clients throughout all stages of the litigation process. Stefanie obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Barry University School of Law and graduated in the top 18% of her class. While in law school, she received the...

Eric T. Halsey is a native Floridian who joined Sheftall & Torres as an associate in April 2006, after serving as a law clerk in the firm's civil trial and appellate practice since January 2004. Mr. Halsey practices in the areas of commercial and tort litigation, including personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, breach of contract, judgment collection, and defamation. First as a law clerk and now as an associate, Mr. Halsey has worked extensively with the firm's partners on some of Sheftall & Torres' most successful cases, including a $10 million wrongful death settlement in 2005 and a $6...

I always liked a good fight, and that is one thing I will guaranty. I enjoy what I do, and I enjoy being in the courtroom. However, simple gratitude from my clients is my greatest satisfaction. Outside of the courtroom, I enjoy the outdoors, surfing, hunting, fishing (when I can), and spending time with my family. If you have any issues, just give me a call.

David is the managing attorney of BRILL & RINALDI, The Law Firm. He is also co-counsel with the Miami-based law firm of Crewmember & Maritime Advocacy Center, P.A. David began his legal career in the Office of the State Attorney in and for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami, first serving as a Certified Legal Intern and then for over three years as an Assistant State Attorney. He tried six jury trials as an Intern. He tried dozens of bench proceedings and approximately two dozen jury trials as an Assistant State Attorney. After his departure...

Elizabeth Irazabal is a litigation attorney handling cruise ship passenger personal injury claims and crewmember claims as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. She is dedicated to providing exceptional service and representation to the firm’s clients throughout all stages of the litigation process. “When clients call for our help, they seek answers and guidance. My driving passion is to be the voice for our clients to help them feel whole again.” Elizabeth was born and raised in Miami, Florida and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies. While completing her...

Percy Martinez is a committed Miami personal injury lawyer with over 20 years experience. From medical malpractice, car accidents to wrongful death we cover pretty much every aspect of personal injury.

Robert N. Hogan, II is a partner with the Law Firm of Hogan & Chapman, P.L.

Karen Grossman has over 35 years’ experience as a maritime attorney, and as a trial attorney handles cruise passengers’ and crewmembers’ personal injury claims, including shipboard medical malpractice, slip and falls, and serious injuries. She is particularly skilled at representing victims of sexual assault with sensitivity and discretion. Ms. Grossman worked for many years representing all major cruise lines and has a unique understanding of the challenges associated with living and vacationing on a cruise ship. She now focuses her career on representing persons injured on cruise ships and devotes her time to getting top results for passengers and crew...

Eliana Aklepi is a litigation attorney handling passenger personal injury, sexual assault, and crewmember cases. Eliana prioritizes working closely with clients, ensuring their stories are heard. Eliana’s undergraduate degree from Drexel University allowed her to work with artists, helping them avoid exploitative contracts. This work sparked her desire to fight corporations with abusive labor practices. Eliana received her law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. In law school, she focused her studies on international law and labor. Her interest in maritime law stems from her work in Cardozo Law School’s Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic, the only...

Mr. Russell passed the Florida Bar in 2016, and began his career in Maritime Personal Injury Defense work. Mr. Russell joined the Law offices of Gillis, Mermell & Pacheco, P.A. in 2018. Mr. Russell handles his own case load and is closely supervised by Clifford Mermell and David Pacheco, who have over 46 years of combined experience in handling Defense Base Act and Longshore cases. Mr. Russell has also quickly accelerated his learning curve and is proficient in new client intakes, informal conferences, the discovery process, settlement evaluations, and demands, and general handling of all aspects of a DBA...

Donald J. Freeman, Esquire specializes in commercial litigation in state and federal courts, real estate and commercial transactions, business law and admiralty law. The firm office is located in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Mr. Freeman graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1967. He then served for four years as an Officer in the United States Coast Guard and commanded the 95 foot patrol boat, Cape Shoalwater, out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Freeman graduated from the University of Miami Law School in 1974. Mr. Freeman moved to...

Heather Smith is a seasoned litigation attorney who handles cruise ship passenger and crew member personal injury claims, as well as personal injury claims against hotels. Mrs. Smith has a wealth of litigation experience, as she worked as an attorney at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office for over a decade. She has tried more than a dozen cases to verdict and has taken thousands of depositions. She also worked briefly at an insurance defense firm. Her lengthy experience gives us an advantage in all of our maritime cases as she is ready willing and able to take on the toughest cases...

Geoffrey Probst is a new and prized addition to Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. While only recently joining LM&W, attorney Probst brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the firm, having specialized in admiralty and maritime law for over 17 years. Attorney Probst has extensive experience in representing both plaintiffs and defendants in legal actions involving injured or deceased passengers and crew members in cruise ship accidents. In his earlier career, he was the senior in-house litigator for a major cruise line. Having worked on both sides of these claims gives attorney Probst a unique advantage when representing accident...

The Anania Law Firm, P.A. has been in existence since 1987. We specialize in Admiralty/Maritime & Aviation Law. Not only does Mr. Anania know the complex set of laws that comprise those fields of law, he has extensive practical experience in the those industries. Mr. Anania owned and operated an Ocean going freighter with a 13 man crew, owned and operated a marine repair facility, was the DSO (District Staff Officer) of the Coast Guard Auxiliary; in charge of over 40 airplanes, has been on the Broward County Marine Advisory Committee for over 20 years, and is still an active...

Romano Law Group attorney Todd Romano, a 2012 Super Lawyers Rising Star, practices in the areas of personal injury and wrongful death, product liability, mesothelioma/asbestos, claims against the government (Federal Tort Claims Act) and commercial litigation. He is also a member of the Taos Group, an association of prominent trial attorneys from around the country who work together to better serve the needs of their clients.

Eric Morales is a knowledgeable cruise ship and boating injury lawyer. He represents passengers and crewmembers injured on cruise ships, shipping vessels, yachts, and personal watercraft and has helped Plaintiffs recover millions of dollars during his career. Mr. Morales practices with the firm of Lipcon, Margulies, Alsina & Winkleman, P.A., the premier Plaintiff's maritime personal injury firm in the country. Learn more at www.lipcon.com or www.yacht-injury.com

Mr. Alpizar is an attorney at Alpizar Law, LLC. He exclusively represents injured victims and the families of lost loved ones through no fault of their own. His areas of practice focus on automobile and trucking accidents, wrongful death, motorcycle crashes, catastrophic claims, traumatic brain injuries and bicycle/pedestrian accidents.